


Hurricane Awkward

by AutomaticWastelandFox



Series: Miraculous Tales of Kwami Swap [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Friendships, Episode: s01 Climatika | Stormy Weather, F/M, Fox Alya Césaire | Rena Rouge, Friendship, Gen, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Kwami Swap, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Peacock Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Peacock Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Bijou Bleue, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, Turtle Nino Lahiffe | Carapace, Villain Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, We Are All Alya Césaire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutomaticWastelandFox/pseuds/AutomaticWastelandFox
Summary: Whose idea to have a kid lose a competition on live television and be humiliated during the reign of a magical terrorist that preys on negativity anyways? Marinette just wanted to have a nice day in the park with her friends where they didn't have to wear magic spandex.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe
Series: Miraculous Tales of Kwami Swap [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920829
Comments: 9
Kudos: 67





	Hurricane Awkward

The first day of summer break in Paris was absolutely gorgeous. Marinette smiled serenely, tilting her face towards the sun and letting the midmorning rays warm her exposed skin. She exhaled deeply and sank into a low posture feeling the muscles in her legs and back tense and relax as she flowed through the familiar tai chi sets. With her eyes closed she couldn’t see Nino and Alya on either side of her, but she could feel their presence and knew they were moving in perfect synch. 

The heroes of Paris hadn’t intended to spend the first day of summer babysitting four hyperactive children, but Marinette really just couldn’t say no when Nadja looked so desperate. Alya had only rolled her eyes and volunteered to bring her own twin sisters over hoping the girls would keep Manon distracted enough they could at least enjoy the day. This of course led to Nino nabbing Chris and bringing him to the impromptu play date as well. Solidarity in all things. 

Turns out four rowdy kids and three teenagers was a lot for one apartment though. After a firm ‘suggestion’ from Sabine, and a quick wardrobe change, the teens found themselves wrangling the children to the nearby park. The ‘sapotis’, as Alya had taken to calling them, immediately rocketed off at mach one towards the park’s iconic carousel while the teens had set up their yoga mats in a nice secluded corner of the park in easy sight and ear shot of the kids. 

Luckily for them the park was rather empty considering it was the first day of break. Aside from a smattering of small kids and their parents, the only other people there were a group that appeared to be doing some sort of photo shoot near the fountain, and they were easy enough to steer clear of. Most of Paris was probably at home glued to their televisions awaiting the finale of the KIDZ+ television competition for the new junior weather anchor. 

The competition had been going on for the last few weeks and both finalists ended up being girl’s Marinette knew from school. She’d already cast her final vote early this morning for Aurore. She didn’t know the girl too well, but they had several shared duties in the past as class representatives and she’d always seemed nice enough. 

The trio had just shifted into a new posture when a surprisingly close male voice caught their attention. Marinette opened her eyes, squawking in alarm and falling back against Nino when she found her personal space invaded by the photographer who had seemed to appear out of thin air. 

“Perfetto! You will pose with Mister Adrien, sì?”

“I… wait, me?” Marinette blinked a few times pointing at herself and glancing between her two friends to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. They both only shrugged looking equally as baffled. The three of them weren’t fit to be in any photo shoot, except maybe Yoga Magazine. She leaned around the photographer to really examine the model who was now sitting on the edge of the fountain watching them with a slightly exasperated expression. He was very handsome. He looked about their age, tall with neatly coiffed blonde hair and perfectly spray tanned skin. He definitely didn’t belong anywhere near them in his clearly designer button up and jeans.

Marinette found herself frowning, while she subconsciously petted at her hair. She and Alya always wore it this way when they were working out, thrown up on top of their heads in matching messy buns. It was a signature look that Nino had taken to calling ‘the fineapple’ because they, in his words not hers, 'looked like a couple of fine ass pineapples'. She usually felt cute in her home made athletic wear and floppy hair, but under the model’s intense gaze she felt like a homeless waif. 

The boy finally noticed her eyes on him and his sharp gaze shifted into a softer look as he gave a little wave. Marinette had just opened her mouth to politely decline the excited photographers offer when a chorus of shrieks began near the carousel. She jerked her head to the side and gasped in horror finding the small ride encased in thick ice. A fierce wind swept across the park and she had to dig her heels in and crouch to avoid being flung away with several of the other park occupants. She shielded her face from the harsh blast squinting through the dust until she found the akuma. A girl floating in the sky high above the carousel dressed in a dark dress and spinning a violet parasol in her hands.

“Aurore?” 

The photographer abandoned them immediately dashing back to his crew while a giant of a man hoisted the stunned model over his shoulder and ran for cover. She noted that he had reached out towards her with a concerned expression before the entire crew disappeared through the park entrance. No time to worry about them right now though. 

She rushed to join Alya and Nino who were already testing the thick ice surrounding the carousel. Marinette crouched and pressed her hands to the clear ice sending what she hoped was a reassuring smile to the trembling children trapped inside. They weren’t alone at least, it appeared a father had been riding with his toddler and he was kneeling by the children as well giving them a brave smile already talking about how the heroes would be here any second. 

“It’s no good Nette. It’s way too thick.” Nino frowned and gave the ice a final solid whack with the hefty tree branch he had found nearby. “We’ve got to go find the heroes and tell them we need help here.”

“That’s right so all you little sapotis be good for this nice man.” Alya sent the kids an encouraging grin as she knocked on the ice near Ella and Etta. “Were going to go find the heroes and they’ll fix everything. You just sit tight and we’ll be right back.”

“So, I guess Aurore lost the competition then.” Nino’s dry remark got a snort out of Marinette as they found an abandoned alley nearby. 

“Sure!” Alya was already on a full blown rant by now. She was pressing the palms of her hands hard into her eyes. Trixx had burrowed his way out of her hair, a particularly amused grin curled across his face. “Let’s do a big competition where someone has to lose in front of the entire city on live television while there’s a magical terrorist on the loose creating supervillains from negative emotions. It’s not like he’s been at large for the last year or anything. Good plan? Great plan! Trixx let’s pounce!”

It took them less than a minute to get back to the trapped children and despite the grim situation it was absolutely adorable to see their awestruck faces. Manon had gasped and pressed her entire body flat against the ice to gaze up at Bijou Bleue in pure adoration. Bijou couldn’t suppress her small giggle as she bent down to smile at the little girl. 

“Hello there, you must be Manon. Marinette and her friends told us that you all needed help here. Don’t you worry about them. We got them somewhere safe and we’re going to get you all out too so you can finish playing.”

Carapace took a few steps back flinging his shield towards the ice. It connected solidly, but only dug in a few inches before becoming wedged. He let out a small annoyed sigh before bracing his feet against the ice dome and struggling with the shield. 

“Alright.” He grunted managing to only stumble a little when the shield finally came loose. “That’s not going to work. Guess we’re going to have to go to the source. Stay chill little dudes; you’ll be out soon.”

“...was that a joke?” The man who was trapped inside with the children squinted at Carapace disbelievingly through the ice. Rena and Bijou just managed to choke back their laughs as they bounded away leaving the stuttering Carapace to catch up.

Aurore wasn’t hard to find at least. They’d only had to follow the trail of destroyed Mirelle posters and signs for a few blocks before they found her in the middle of smashing a large screen displaying a rerun of the finale. They didn’t even get a chance to call out to her before she spun on her heel and froze the roadway beneath them with a wave of her parasol. Bijou Bleue never stood a chance her feet were instantly out from under her and she found herself flat on her back gazing up at the tauntingly beautiful sky. 

She didn’t even try to suppress her groan when she heard Chat Noir cackling from somewhere above her. She found him easily lounging atop one of the city buses stopped nearby. His green eyes were dancing in unabashed amusement as he stared down at her prone form. 

“Well, it looks like Stormy Weather doesn’t need my help to put the three of you on ice. You know Bleue, I’m feline generous today. How about you all just hand over your miraculous and tell me where Crimson Beetle is hiding the ladybug. Then we can put this all behind us and we can go have a nice dinner somewhere. I know a nice little Italian place that will just blow you away.”  
Bijou huffed in irritation, accepting Carapace's hand as he pulled her up onto unsteady feet. She opened her fan with a particularly vicious flick of her wrist and an audible clack. She held it in front of her face doing her best to glare menacingly at the villain hopefully covering the light blush dusting her cheeks. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know…” Alya mused sometime later as Carapace tapped out a quick message on his shield to Master Fu giving him the all clear to cast the cure from whatever secure location he had hidden in. “Maybe we should actually let Chat Noir take you out on a date, Bleue.”

“I’m sorry.” Nino scoffed in disbelief as he let his transformation fall. He made a show of wiggling his pinky in his ear and looking between the two girls. “I think my ear must still be bleeding from where the villain, our enemy, Chat Noir cracked me across the temple with his staff. Because for a second there it sounded like you suggested sending my best bronette on a date with him. You know, the villain?”

“I think one date with a villain is plenty for one lifetime Als.” Marinette’s cheeks were decidedly warm as the ladybug swarm washed over them curing their bruises and leaving behind only the usual sore muscles and lingering exhaustion. 

“Pfft. Nathanael didn’t count. He wasn’t even a real villain.” Alya rolled her eyes and flapped her hands dismissively as she took off back towards the park. “Now, hear me out. You get all cozy and then *SHINK* you slice off his hand, cursed ring and all. Problem solved. Paris saved.” 

Nino and Marinette both halted mid-jog to blink owlishly at Alya who was still pantomiming exactly how Marinette would need to cut off Chat’s hand with her fan. She looked… unnervingly serious. Before they could comment further they were all knocked on their asses, tackled by a herd of babbling children.

“You really found the heroes! Bijou Bleue was so pretty!”

“Are Rena Rouge’s ears real? Did you know they move!”

“Alya! Alya! Carapace threw his shield and it was all like WHOOSH!”

The teenagers only laughed as the children continued to pin them there chattering away about the heroes. They had just begun to untangle themselves and brush all the dirt off when they were interrupted by the photographer from earlier. It seemed the crew was determined to finish their shoot despite the interruption and were already in the middle of setting all the equipment back up.. Marinette blinked a bit at the chaotic scene watching the model turn this way and that as a makeup artist touched up a bit of powder across his nose. She had a distinct feeling this wasn’t the first time an akuma had busted up a shoot. 

“Signorina!” 

“I’m really sorry, sir.” Marinette screamed internally, but managed to plaster on a polite smile. “It’s been a really long day and I think we should just get these littles back home now.”

“Yes! Sì! The children, that is why I’m here! Seeing you all just now was magnifico! The life! The passion! That is what I need! Allow me to shoot the children with Mister Adrien!”

Marinette’s brow furrowed at the man’s exuberance while her brain tried to catch up with the conversation. Before she could respond Manon had already latched onto her waist gazing up at her with the biggest babydoll eyes Marinette had ever seen the girl muster. Ella and Etta were quick on the draw as well each one grabbing Alya’s hands and trying to tug her towards the shoot. 

“Uh, I don’t know dudes.” Nino frowned and rubbed at the back of his head doing his best to ignore how Chris’ lip had started to quiver. “I mean they’re minors and we aren’t their guardians or anything.”

“It is no problema!” The cameraman was quick to assure them nodding vigorously. “I will have forms to send with you and mail back. No photos used without permission.”

“Well,” Marinette shared hesitant glances with Alya and Nino before they all shrugged and sighed in resignation. “I guess a few more minutes won’t hurt anything.”

The children all cheered and took off to the set at a dead run immediately bombarding the model and the collective staff members with a million questions. Alya and Nino grinned at the scene before nodding at Nino’s gym bag and giving an exaggerated wink as they retreated to a nearby park bench to check in on the kwami resting inside. 

Marinette for her part gave into the little voice in the back of her head that was freaking out about being on set for an actual photoshoot. She scurried behind the children and began asking her own, more professional, questions to the stylist on set. She was still chatting with the tall man when a solemn woman with a surprisingly fetching swatch of red hair walked straight up to her and shoved a handful of paperwork into her chest. 

“Oh, uh thank you Madame.” The woman simply hummed before taking out her cell phone to accept an incoming call whilst she simultaneously began tapping away at something or other on her tablet. “She was intense.”

“Intense is a good word for Nathalie.” 

The cheerful voice in her ear startled her so badly Marinette was very nearly sent tumbling on her ass for a third time today, but a strong pair of arms around her waist steadied her in an almost romantic dip. She could feel the tips of her ears burning as she found herself blinking up at the shoot's handsome model who was smiling down at her sheepishly, a faint dusting of pink coloring his own tanned cheeks. 

“Sorry mademoiselle. I didn’t mean to startle you so badly. I just wanted to come introduce myself and thank you personally for helping out with the shoot today. Vincent was about to have a stroke. My name is Adrien Agreste. It's wonderful to meet you.” He set her gently back on her feet as he spoke, taking one of her hands in his own and pressing a chaste kiss to her knuckles. Marinette could only blink again as she stared into his vibrant green eyes. Everything clicked together very suddenly in her brain.

“I have pictures of you on my wall!”

“Uh…” Adrien’s eyes had rounded comically completely dumbfounded at her outburst, and behind them the stylist and makeup artist had both burst into hysterics. From over Adrien’s shoulder she could just make out Nino, his face buried into his beanie and shoulders shaking from the force of his laughter. Alya just pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head refusing to meet her gaze. 

“Oh, mon dieu…” Marinette gave a mortified moan and snatched her hand away from the boy pressing it against her flaming cheeks. “I’m so sorry! I’m so awkward. I meant I just recognized you. Adrien Agreste, you’re Gabriel Agreste’s son. I have pictures of you because I have clippings from your dads ad! Not just you of course. I have lots of pictures of boys on my wall. No wait, that’s still wrong. Boys and girls. Models. Lots of models. Because I like fashion! Not because I’m creepy or anything....I’m just going to leave now. Manon!” 

She didn’t give the boy a chance to respond. She swiftly scooped up Manon who had been playing in the grass nearby and herded the rest of the kids towards Alya and Nino who had already scurried over to the park entrance. 

“Girl.” Alya sighed linking arms as they crossed the street to the bakery. “You’re so hopeless.” 

“I knooooooow!” Marinette wailed miserably allowing Alya to steer her through the bakery past her parents and up to their apartment. She flopped unceremoniously onto the couch dragging Alya with her and burying her face into her chest. Nino just shook his head at the girls and settled the kids in front of the television where Mirelle and Aurore were accepting co-anchor positions at KIDZ+. “Who just says something like that? I told you my real power is super awkwardness!” 

“Well, look at the bright side.” Alya cooed while she petted Marinette’s head in sympathy. “At least you’ll never have to see sunshine boy in the flesh again...just on like every billboard and magazine in Paris.” 

“...I’m cutting his head off every picture.” Came the muffled response earning another round of raucous laughter from her friends.

**Author's Note:**

> She may not be as tongue tied as usual, but come on he's still a model for god's sake.


End file.
